Bicycle brake



(N0 Model.)

0. H. WOLF.

BICYCLE BRAKE.

No. 599,278. Patented Feb. 15,1898.

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CHARLES H. lVOLF, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-IIALF TO HENRY lVASBERS, OF SAME PLACE.

BlCYCLE BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,278, dated February 15, 1898.

Application filed March 6, 1897. Serial No. 626,231. (No model.)

To 60% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES H. WOLF, a citizen of the United States, residing at York, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bicycle-l3rakesg and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to bicyclebrakes; and ithas for its object to provide a brake adapted to be attached to the front forks of the frame and to be operated by pressure of the foot on the brake or by pressure of a brake -le'ver adapted to bear against the brakes and press it against the wheel-tire, the construction being such that the brake can be applied to various forms of bicycles already in use without requirement of special skill and in an easy or expeditious manner.

The brake is formed of a single piece of metal, having clips to encircle the forks of the frame and a roller adapted to bear against the wheel-tire, the main body of the brake being slitted longitudinally, so as to enable the opposite members to be diverted from their normal position to enable the brake to be readily applied when the conditions require diversion or deflection of a portion of the brake in its application. The metal employed is resilient in character, so that when the pressure which applies the brake is withdrawn the brake will I assume its normal position and lift the friction-roller from contact with the wheel-tire.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as may hereinafter appear the invention consists in the construction and the combination of parts hereinafter particularly described, and then sought to be specifically defined by the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in Which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the front portion of a bicycle frame and wheel, showing the improved brake applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the brake, full size, detached from the bicycle; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation, on a reduced scale, showing the brake applied in front of the bicycle-forks, so as to receive pressure from the brake-lever rod located at the handle-bars.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a plate of metal of resilient material formed at one end with clips 2, made integral with the part 1 and formed by bending at right angles to the part 1 a lip or flange 3, of which the member 4 is a continuation and bent rearwardly, as shown, so that the members 3 and t will constitute a clip adapted to fit around the forks of the forward part of the bicycleframe, as indicated in Fig. 1. A screw 5 is passed through the free end of the member 4, and its threaded end engagesa threaded opening in the flange or member 3, so that by tightening the screw the clip will be made to bind or clamp the fork, and thus secure the brake in place.

The main body or plate 1 of the brake is formed with a longitudinal slot 6, which at its rear end may terminate in an enlarged opening 7, the purpose of this slot being to divide the plate 1 longitudinally along the slot, so that either one or both portions of the plate 011 opposite sides of the slot 6 may be bent or diverted from their normal position in order to enable the plate to be passed through the slot into position where the clips 2 may encircle the forks of the bicycle-frame if the space between the wheel-tire and the top of the forks should be so restricted as to render it difficult to insert the brake in its normal shape, so as to bring the clips into position.

As soon as the brake is adjusted in place and pressure taken from off the portions lying along the slot 6 the resiliency of the metal will cause the parts to assume their normal position.

' The rear portion of the plate 1 back of the slot 6 is formed with side extensions 8, which constitute rests for one foot or the other in applying pressure to cause the brake to bear against the wheel-tire. This rear portion is formed with two depending ears 9, which are preferably formed by slitting the metal and transversely dividing the tongue between the slits, so that the separate parts may be bent down to form the ears 9, which are thus made integral with the plate or main body of the brake. Between the ears 9 is journaled a roller 10, the axle of which has its bearing in the ear 9, and when the brake is depressed this roller will bear against the wheel-tire and thus brake the Wheel.

Under the construction described the ears 9 and the clips 2 are made integral with the brake, and the only additional parts necessary to complete the structure are the clamping-screws 5 and the roller 10.

The brake can be made at very little expense, as it can be stamped out of sheet metal and the parts then bent to form the members 3 and 4 of the clip and the ears 9 for the roller, and it being of resilient material, which resiliency may be increased by the formation of the slots 6, the roller will be quickly lifted from contact with the wheel-tire when the pressure of the foot is taken off from either side extension 8, so that the brake and its roller in the normal condition stand in the position shown by full lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and when depressed will stand in the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The brake thus formed is also light and symmetrical and ornamental in appearance, and can be quickly applied and as easily removed when desired.

By applying the brake so that the roller portion will liein front instead of to the rear of the fork and employing a handle brake-lever of any of the ordinary forms in use, so that its lower end will contact with the plate, the brake can be used as a handle-bar brake, as shown in Fig. 3. In this application of the brake the plate 1 will receive pressure from the usual brake-lever through the depending rod 11, which will carry at its lower end plate 12, adapted to press on the plate 1. The brake when used in this manner may be shorter than when applied at the rear of the forks.

- Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim is- 1. A bicycle-brake formed of an elastic plate having a slot extending inwardly from one end so as to leave the portions of the plate at the end from which the slot extends inwardly disconnected from each other, clips at said end of the plate, the clips being formed of portions of the plate bent at an angle to the plate to form flanges 3 to lie against the inner faces of the forks to the frame and having members 4 constituting a continuation of brace the forks of the frame, and a portion at the opposite end bent to form ears to support a roller, the main body of the plate being formed with a longitudinally-extending slot and a roller supported by said ears, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. WOLF.

Witnesses:

ALBERTUS HIBNER, F. S. ZINN. 

